Egyptian journalists and activists gathered Sunday evening outside the Journalists’ Syndicate in downtown Cairo to protest the passage of an Israeli warship through the Suez Canal. The crowd voiced anti-Israel slogans and condemned the Egyptian government’s position on Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which has claimed over 43,000 Palestinian lives and recently spread into Lebanon.
“You have dragged [our nation] into the mud,” the protesters chanted, criticizing the government’s approach.
The turnout remained low, as the gathering was not widely publicized due to concerns it might be banned by authorities. Shortly after the protest began, security forces surrounded the area, and a heavy police presence filled the streets around the union building.
This demonstration came two days after an Israeli vessel was seen crossing the Suez Canal from Port Fuad city, raising both Egyptian and Israeli flags, sparking outrage among pro-Palestinian Egyptians. A video capturing the scene circulated online, with one protest organizer calling the passage of the warship “outrageous and provocative.”
In the video, bystanders, shocked, filmed the event, with one woman asking, “Who are you going to kill by using that?” as she pointed toward the vessel.
The Suez Canal, a vital waterway for global shipping and a significant source of Egypt’s income, has faced disruptions in recent months due to attacks on international vessels in the Red Sea by Houthis in response to Israel’s war on Gaza. In light of the protest, the Suez Canal Authority issued a statement referencing the 1888 Constantinople Convention, which designates the canal as a neutral passage open to ships of all nations in times of peace and war. However, the authority did not specifically mention the Israeli warship.
An international law expert, speaking anonymously to The New Arab, questioned Egypt’s adherence to the convention, suggesting Egypt could legally block the passage if national security was at risk, as seen in past instances.
Historically, the Suez Canal was nationalized in 1956 by President Gamal Abdel-Nasser and was closed during the 1967 war until its reopening in 1975 during peace talks led by President Anwar Sadat.
Egypt’s military spokesperson previously denied any military cooperation with Israel following another recent controversy involving the docking of a German vessel carrying explosives in Egypt for shipment to Israel.
Despite a peace treaty with Israel since the late 1970s, Egypt’s public has long opposed full normalization with Israel, with tensions further escalating after the recent Gaza conflict.
Protesters on Sunday also called for the release of detainees held over past pro-Gaza demonstrations, as well as other imprisoned activists and journalists. “Regardless of how many cells you open up, we will continue our endeavour,” the crowd chanted.
